Case Study: Responding to Local Needs Through Heritage to Increase a Sense of Belonging and Cohesion
What is this case study about?
This case study was produced by Historic England based on the work of 'Out of the Blue: Unheard Voices, Different Stories', a project by Blue Bermondsey BID (Business Improvement District).
Responding to community consultation, their aims were to unearth and celebrate previously unheard histories of The Blue marketplace in Bermondsey with hopes of fostering a greater sense of belonging and social cohesion.
This case study shows how you can engage with diverse groups and the importance of this work.
The project was supported by Historic England's Everyday Heritage Grants.
What are the key learnings?
- Adopting a pragmatic and patient approach is key when working with multiple community partners, particularly marginalised groups
- Allow time for organic engagement with your chosen community partners. Establishing real and honest connections creates a safe space in which active participation can take place
- A project outline is helpful when approaching and recruiting community partners. However, you should allow for flexibility to respond to any tweaks or amendments needed
What was the project about?
In its industrial past, Bermondsey's close-knit white working-class community were resistant to change in the borough, according to project leads. This has improved to an extent, but this reputation, and a certain vestige of this sentiment, remains.
Present-day Bermondsey is now the home to a minimum of 39% BAME inhabitants, which prompted Blue BID and Big Local Works to conduct in-depth, qualitative research on culture and identity in the borough in 2021-2022.
The headlines that informed the core of this project were:
- Many people from local ethnic minority and migrant communities passionately want to tell the stories of their community's migration and contribution to the area
- Local history was often misremembered and misrepresented and has created barriers in how people in the area relate to each other
- There is a need to help the community maintain a sense of ongoing ownership of the area as things change, so that they feel a sense of continuity between a proud past and the present changes
The project aimed to:
- Shine a light on the heritage and history of The Blue at a time of immense change and show a more inclusive and representative picture to illuminate and inform a more harmonious future
- Develop a better and more honest understanding of local working-class history in which all people's contributions are respected and valued
- Give people a chance to build bridges and relationships based on empathy across their communities
- Give people the skills and knowledge to understand their history and present their own stories in a variety of ways
How did the project respond to community needs?
Initially, a community consultation group of migrant and local minority groups was formed to respond to survey data through community programming. Blue Bermondsey Bid supported planning and provided guidance but encouraged participants to formulate their own ideas and event proposals. While this was an effective formula, holding 1-to-1 meetings was more productive, as people were more receptive to facilitators.
The project leads believe that willingness to adopt a more sensitive approach is key, especially when responding to community needs. As the project continued, they found creating space for more informal interactions encouraged participants to be more open. Through keeping a visible presence in community spaces and events in the borough, they built relationships and recruited several collaborators. This allowed the project to take shape in a way they "never could have planned".
What were the outcomes?
- 15 culturally diverse, family-focused events on a range of mediums, including Dance, Cookery, Japanese culture, Castellers of London (building human towers), birds from around the world, and the Biscuit Day (a celebration of the biscuit manufacturing past of Bermondsey)
- 5 new community initiatives formed, including Spice Race, cooking workshops and a Life in Dub - a celebration of local Reggae culture.
- 3 videos about the project, including a film called 'From Zhanhe Qu to Bermondsey: A Journey from China to London' by a local resident
The project has increased awareness and strengthened the marketplace as a shared public space where everyone can gain a sense of continuity with local heritage, emphasising that it is not purely for trade and traders but more an 'outdoor community centre' where old and new residents and users can come together and celebrate the heritage and cultural diversity of the area in the present day.
Finally, a programme of popular monthly community events will continue as a legacy of this project so that they can become recognised and established for many years to come.
Lessons learned
- The best way of getting people involved is to talk to them directly, through public engagement sessions and events or just through casual conversations and word of mouth
- Projects like these are helpful in promoting consensus, but they won’t always immediately yield the results you wish. This shouldn’t discourage you from conducting this work, it acts as an excellent base and inspiration for future work
- Patience is needed, and organisations must refrain from being too imposing to reach. You should be flexible and responsive so that the project outcomes are realistic and valid
- Pioneering undertakings such as this project cannot be scripted; they must find their own natural course and attract collaborators as they grow and gather momentum. Trust needs to be built, and this takes time
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